1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to devices for protecting golf clubs and, more particularly, to a technique for protecting the shafts of golf clubs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Protective devices for golf clubs have been known for many years. These devices usually are in the form of a soft, resilient cover or receptacle, that surrounds the head of the club so as to protect it from damage. In the particular case of wood clubs, a sleeve is attached to the open end of the receptacle in order to extend along the length of the shaft a small distance. Accordingly, the head cover protects not only the head of the club, but also the shaft at that location where the shaft is connected to the head. Sometimes the receptacle and the sleeve are of a unitary construction, such as a knitted sock. In other instances, the head cover and the sleeve are constructed separately and then joined, as by sewing.
Head covers as described above have functioned adequately to protect wood golf clubs. Such clubs conventionally have been fitted with steel shafts. Because steel is a strong, durable material, there has been little or no need to protect the shafts of the golf clubs; the primary function of the head covers is that of protecting the heads of the clubs. However, the advent of shafts made of composite materials such as graphite, boron-graphite, and the like, has presented problems that existing head covers have not dealt with adequately. Composite shafts are sensitive to damage from abrasion or impact. Accordingly, it has become necessary to provide head covers that not only protect the heads of wood clubs, but also surround, and extend along the length of, the shafts in order to provide at least some measure of protection for the shafts.
The principal cause of damage to a composite shaft occurs when the shaft is placed in a golf bag and the golf bag thereafter is transported from place to place. The jostling that naturally occurs during such movement of the golf bag causes the shaft to rub back and forth along the upper edge of the golf bag, thereby causing localized damage to the shaft. While existing head covers having extended-length sleeves theoretically would protect against such damage (by covering the shaft and extending into the golf bag well below the region of contact between the golf bag and the shaft), such head covers have not performed well in practice.
The problem largely arises because the sleeve of a head cover is very flexible and compressible, and is larger in diameter than the shaft. When a number of golf clubs having similarly constructed head covers are placed into a golf bag, the sleeves of one or more of the head covers may not fit readily into the golf bag. Even if the golf bag is large enough to accommodate all of the extended-length sleeves, it frequently happens that a player will not take the time to ensure that the sleeves extend into the golf bag. In other words, if a player quickly places a club into the bag without insuring that the sleeve has been fitted into the bag, the sleeve will be pushed up along the shaft toward the head, thereby exposing the shaft to possible damage.
In view of the foregoing problems associated with protecting golf clubs, it would be desirable to have a device that could protect golf clubs, particularly composite-shafted golf clubs, without any special effort or care being required by the user. Preferably, any such device would be inexpensive, easy to use, and could be adapted for use with golf clubs of any size or length.